{{Short description|American politician (1801–1875)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Joshua Motter | image = | alt = | caption = | state_delegate = Maryland | district = Frederick County | term_start = 1840 | term_end = 1841 | alongside = Edward A. Lynch, William Lynch, David W. Naill, Davis Richardson | predecessor = Daniel S. Biser, Jacob Firor, John McPherson, Caspar Quynn, John H. Simmons | successor = Daniel S. Biser, John W. Geyer, James M. Schley, John H. Simmons, Cornelius Staley | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1801|2|2}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1875|2|25|1801|2|2}} | death_place = Emmitsburg, Maryland, U.S. | resting_place = Lutheran Cemetery | party = | spouse = | children = 3 | relatives = Lewis M. Motter (brother) | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|Politician|merchant|farmer|railroad executive}} | signature = }}
'''Joshua Motter''' (February 2, 1801 – February 25, 1875) was an American politician from Maryland. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Frederick County from 1840 to 1841.
==Early life== Joshua Motter was born on February 2, 1801, to Mary M. (née Martin) and Lewis Motter.<ref name="history">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyoffrederi0002will/page/1416/mode/2up |title=History of Frederick County, Maryland |volume=2 |last1=Williams |first1=T. J. C. |last2=McKinsey |first2=Folger |publisher=L. R. Titsworth & Co. |year=1979 |pages=1416–1417 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/portraitbiograph01chap_0/page/n291/mode/2up |title=Portrait and Biographical Record of the Sixth Congressional District, Maryland |year=1898 |publisher=Chapman Publishing Company |pages=187–188 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref name="obit">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/wathena-reporter-joshua-motter-27-feb-1/143731218/ |title=Sudden Death of Mr. Joshua Motter |date=1875-02-27 |newspaper=Wathena Reporter |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref> His brothers were Maryland delegate Lewis M. Motter and judge William Motter.<ref name="history"/>
==Career== Motter was a merchant and farmer in Emmitsburg, Maryland.<ref name="history"/>
Motter served as justice of the peace. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates, representing Frederick County from 1840 to 1841.<ref name="history"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/speccol/sc2600/sc2685/house/html/frhouse.html |title=Historical List, House of Delegates, Frederick County (1790-1974) |website=Maryland Manual On-Line |publisher=Maryland State Archives |date=2010-01-04 |access-date=2024-03-20}}</ref>
Motter was elected president of the Emmitsburg Railroad (later Baltimore and Emmitsburg Railroad) in November 1868.<ref name="obit"/><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_railway-locomotives-and-cars_1868-11-07_41_1699/page/n21/mode/2up |title=Joshua Motter... |journal=American Railroad Journal |date=1868-11-07 |page=1107 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref> He was director of the Bank of Gettysburg from May 12, 1837, to 1860, succeeding his father. He also served as director of the Gettysburg National Bank from 1868 to 1875.<ref name="obit"/><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historybankgett00mcshgoog/page/n136/mode/2up |title=History of Bank of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg National Bank of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |last=McSherry |first=William |year=1914 |publisher=The Gettysburg National Bank |pages=32,103 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref>
==Personal life== Motter married. He had a son and two daughters, John L.,<ref name="obit"/> Lucinda, wife of Elnathan E. Higbee, and Anna B., wife of Jacob Brewer Kershner.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/centuryofeducati00klei/page/422/mode/2up |title=A Century of Education at Mercersburg, 1836–1936 |last=Klein |first=H. M. J. |year=1936 |pages=387,422,634 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancaster-new-era-mrs-lucinda-higbee-7/143736134/ |title=Mrs. Lucinda Higbee |date=1929-12-07 |newspaper=Lancaster New Era |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref> He was an elder of the German Reformed Church.<ref name="obit"/>
Motter died on February 25, 1875, aged 74, in Emmitsburg.<ref name="obit"/><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-joshua-motter-3-ma/143734605/ |title=Joshua Motter... |date=1875-03-03 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref> He was buried in the Lutheran Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofemmitsb00helm_0/page/n51/mode/2up |title=History of Emmitsburg, Maryland |last=Helman |first=James A. |year=1906 |page=26 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-03-20}}{{Open access}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Motter, Joshua}} Category:1801 births Category:1875 deaths Category:People from Emmitsburg, Maryland Category:American justices of the peace Category:Members of the Maryland House of Delegates Category:Farmers from Maryland Category:American business executives in rail transportation Category:19th-century American farmers Category:19th-century American merchants Category:19th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly Category:Merchants from Maryland